Q: A tree company wants to fertilize my trees with 30-7-9 fertilizer. Wouldn’t I be better off waiting until March or April?

A: If your tree hasn’t been fed in a while, I don’t have a problem with fertilizing, even in winter. Unlike annual and perennial flowers, which have shallow, compact root systems, tree roots are spread widely beyond the drip line. Applying fertilizer months before the spring growing season allows nutrients to wash into the soil and disperse in all directions. A nutrient ratio of 4-1-2 or 4-1-1 is excellent for trees. After this feeding, a trained arborist can evaluate how it has affected the trees’ shoot growth and can advise on whether another fertilizer application is warranted.

See Fertilizing Trees

dogwood tree